WASHINGTON, Jan 7 — Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado said on Monday that she intends to return to her country “as soon as possible,” while rejecting the legitimacy of the interim president who took over after Nicolas Maduro was ousted from power.

SYDNEY, Dec 31 — Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, nicknamed “Sincaraz,” are set to kick off the 2026 season ahead of the Australian Open, while world number one Aryna Sabalenka aims for further Grand Slam success.

MOSCOW, Dec 31 — Russia’s top general announced that its forces are advancing in northeastern Ukraine, with President Vladimir Putin ordering the expansion of what Moscow calls a buffer zone in 2026, according to Russian news agencies.

TOKYO, Dec 31 — Japan has warned that China’s latest military exercises around Taiwan are raising tensions across the Taiwan Strait and confirmed it has conveyed its concerns to Beijing.

NIBONG TEBAL, Dec 31 — Police have arrested two men to assist in the probe into a deadly attack at a Sungai Bakap restaurant yesterday, where a group of masked assailants armed with sharp weapons killed one man and injured two others.

TOKYO, Dec 30 — Japanese football legend Kazuyoshi “King Kazu” Miura, 58, has signed with third-division Fukushima United on loan until June, marking his 41st professional season.